Combination ornament and heat-indicator for horseless vehicles.



1. H. WARNER. I COMBINATION ORNAMENT AND HEAT INDICATOR FOR HORS ELESS VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I0. 19!?- Patelited June 11, 191

Nk ImIr Specification of Letters Patent.

AYTON, OHIO, ASSIGN'OR'TO THE Will MENU 3'. 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ACORJPORATION @JE @HTU.

nan nna'r-Innrcnron son noass r x1e:

Application died September 10, 191?. Serial lilo. 190,2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Combination Ornaments and Heat-Indicators for Horseless Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in combination ornaments and heat indicators for horseless vehicles.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device which will not only be an attractive ornament for an automobile or other horseless vehicle, but which, in addition, will immediatel indicate to the driver an overheated condition of the engine. My invention contemplates the provision of a movable object attachable to the machine, that will be kept continuously in motion by air currents or other impelling forces until the heat of the engine reaches a predetermined point, whereupon a heat-responsive device will be stimulated to stop its movement.

The preferred form of embodiment of my invention contemplates a wind-propelled rotor or spinner mounted upon an automobile radiator cap in such a manner that its motion will be checked by a heat-responsive de vice that extends from said cap into the radiator. The wind-rotated spinner blades make the ornament an attractive one to passers-by as well as to the occupants of the car, and when stopped by the heat-responsive device, they in addition form a sure and visible means of notifying the driver that there exists an overheated engine condition that should be corrected.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved ornament and heat indiwtor attached to the radiator cap of an automobile. F1 2 is a top plan view of said device. An Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line H of Fig. 2.

Throughout the specification and ings, similar reference characters denote Ina detailed description of the form of embodiment of an invention, the numeral 1 desi ates a re ator mp of an automobile. *"v. cap contains a tral aperture through which a upper end of this tube is preferably enlarged and threaded for insertion in the bell-shaped base 3 of an ornament whose top portion consists of a ring 4 preferably integral with said base and having a humpshaped apex 5. Y

Projecting outwardly from a vertical spindle 6, for a free rotary movement within the ringd, are the three blades 7 of a rotor or spinner which is adapted to be set in motion by slight air currents. While I have Patented came all, rats.

illustrated the spinner as consisting of a I spindle and three blades, any eater or less number of blades may be provided with- 1 out departing from the spirit of the invention. The outer ends ofthe blades 7 are preferably curved to make them more readily rotatable by the wind.

The upper end of the spindle 6 terminates in an extension 8 of greatly'reduced diameter, for entrance into a removable sleeve bearing 9 whose upper end is in the formof a screw and whose lower end terminates in a petticoat portion which surrounds the spindle bearing portion to protect the latter from the weather. This screw bearing is adapted to be extended through a vertical hole in the top of the ring 4, to receive the reduced end 8 of the spindle 6, and

after an adjustment which permits the latter an easy movement therein, the hearing may be firmly held in its adjusted position by a set screw 10 that enters the apex portion of said ring from the side (see Figs. 1 and 3).

The lower end of the spindle 6 terminates in a reduced extension 11 which is loosely supported within the recessed axial portion of the inverted bottom of a cup-shaped hearing piece 12 whose sides are vertically movable within an annular groove 13 provided in the bottom of the ring 4. This side and groove construction is provided to shield from the weather a vertical plunger bore that extends downwardly throughthe base 3 to a sp' "-containing counter bore that communicates with a bore 1%. The latte communicates with a larger threaded mawhich receives the top enlard threaded end of the tube 2. (See Ti. 8.)

For thegurpose of chechng the rotation of'the spin le'6 when the temperature with in the radiator reaches a predetermined oint, and thereby en mar to a ver lild Mid

lllld tion, the following construction is provided. Referring to Fig. 3, the numeral 15 designates a plunger to the top of which the bearing piece 12 is secured, and whose lower end, after being extended through the vertical hole and spring'containing counter bore, is attached to a disk-shaped piece 16 vertically movable within the bore 14.

The disk-shaped piece 16 has a convex bottom which rests upon a preferably copper diaphragm which forms the middle portion of the top of the brass tube 2. The latter is filled with alcohol or other liquid readily expansible when exposed to the heat of the radiator through whose cap 1 it extends. In operation, when the engine is overheated by lack of an insufficient water supply within the radiator, or for other causes, the intense heat produced will cause the liquid within the tube 2 to expand, and since the diaphragm 17 is the only element in said tube that Will yield to said expansion, its central portion will be moved upwardly, carrying with it the diskshaped piece 16, which in turn will elevate the plunger 15 and the bearing piece 12 carried thereby. Assuming now that the car is in motion and the blades 7 of the spinner are being rotated by the wind, the upward pressure of the bearing piece 12 against the reduced extension 11 of the spindle 6, will be suiiicient to bring the rotating blades 7 to a dead stop, at once indicating to the driver that the engine isin an overheated condition.

For the purpose of forcing the diaphragm to its normal position, and releasing the spinner for rotation, after the temperature within the radiator has been reduced to a desired point, a coil spring 18 surrounds the lower end of the plunger 15. When the diaphragm 17 forces the disk-shaped piece 16 upwardly, this spring 18 is compressed within the counter-bore above, to return said diaphragm to its normal position when the liquid within the tube 2 contracts as the temperature within the radiator is reduced. This spring at the same time causes the plunger 15 to withdraw the bearing piece 12 from a tight to a loose supporting engagement with the lower end of the spindle 6, whereupon the latter is free to be again rotated by its wind-propelled blades.

For the purpose of firmly holding the tube 2 within the radiator cap 1, the upper middle portion of said tube is threaded externally to receive a nut 19 which is applied ovr its reduced end after the latter has been forced through the central opening in said cap. (See Fig. 3.)

It will now be seen that I have provided for the radiator cap of an automobile, an ornament containing a movable element which is stopped to indicate an overheated condition of the engine, by an expansible device exposed to the heat thereof. 1

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I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may be made therein within the cope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim? 1. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to a horseless vehicle, a normally movable mechanical device carried by said ornament, and heat-responsive means exposed to the heat generated by the engine adapted to check the motion of said movable mechanical device when the rising heat of the engine reaches a predetermined point. 7

2. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to a horseless vehicle, a normally operative rotor carried by. said ornament, and heat-responsive means ex posed to the heat generated by the engine adapted to check the motion of said rotor when the rising heat of the engine reaches a predetermined point.

3. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to a horseless vehicle, a normally operative air-propelled rotor carried by said ornament, and a heat-responsive device exposed to the heat generated by the engine adapted to check the motion of said rotor when the rising heat of the engine reaches a predetermined point. 4L. In a device of the class specified, an

ornament attachable to the radiator cap of a horseless vehicle, a normally operative airpropelled rotor mounted in said ornament, and a heat-responsive device extensible into said radiator through the cap, adapted to check the motion of said rotor when the rising heat within said radiator reaches a predetermined point.

5. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to the radiator cap of a horseless vehicle, a normally operative air-propelled rotor mounted in said ornament, a heat-responsive device within said radiator, and means operatively connected between said heat-responsive device and the rotor adapted to check the motion of the latter when the rising heat within said radiator reaches a predetermined point.

6. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable'to the radiator cap of a horseless vehicle, a normally rotating airpropelled rotor mounted in said ornament, a heat-responsive device within said radiator, a vertical element forming the lower bearing for said rotor, and a member in contact with said heat-responsive device, for raising the vertical element to check the motion of the rotor when the rising heat with in the radiator reaches a predetermined point.

7. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to the radiator cap of an automobile, a normally rotating airaaeeaee tube, a diaphragm on the top of said tube ada ted to'be moved upwardly when said liquid expands, a plunger resting upon said diaphragm, that also formsthe lower hearing for said rotor, and a spring for returning said diaphragmhto its normal position after it has raise e plunger to check the motion of the rotor.

8. In a device of the class specified, an ornament attachable to the radiator cap of 1 an automobile, consisting of a bell-shaped base and ring top, a normally rotatingairpropelled rotor mounted in said ring top, consisting of .a vertical spindle carrying outwardly projecting blades, a tube removably attached to said ornament extensible therefi'om through said cap into the radiator, an expansible liquid in said tube, a diehragm, on the top of said tube adapted to e moved upwardly when the liquid expands, a plunger, a ase for said plunger, resting upon the diaphragm, a removable sleeve bearin for the upper end of said spindle, an inverted cu shaped bearing piece for the lower end t ereof, said bearmg piece being supported by the upper end of the plunger, and having its circumferential rim extensible into an annular groove provided in the bottom part of the ring top, and a spring for returning the diaphragm to its normal position, and withdrawing said bearing piece from tight engagement with the lower end of the spindle, after the temperature within the radiator has been reduced.

In testimony whereofl' have hereunto set 40 

